Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals and/or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. For instance, if a car crash victim claims damages against the driver for loss or injury sustained in an accident, this will be a civil law case. Civil law courts provide a forum for deciding disputes involving torts (such as accidents, negligence, and libel), contract disputes, the probate of wills, trusts, property disputes, administrative law, commercial law, and any other private matters that involve private parties or organizations including government departments. The objectives of civil law are different from other types of law. In civil law there is the attempt to right a wrong, honor an agreement, or settle a dispute. If there is a victim, they get compensation, and the person who is the cause of the wrong pays, this being a civilized form of, or legal alternative to, revenge.
Pine Island is a city in Goodhue and Olmsted counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 2,337 at the 2000 census. Most of Pine Island is in Goodhue County, but a small part extends into Olmsted County. The community has a strong agricultural base, but has been transitioning over time into a bedroom community for nearby Rochester which employs many local residents. The small town was temporarily thrown into the national spotlight in 2002 for having been the home town of the Midwest pipe bomber Luke Helder.